ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Cabinet
Boost to Ease of Doing Business in Petroleum & Natural Gas Sector
Cabinet approves Delegation of Powers to Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Minister of Finance to approve the award of the Blocks/Contract Areas to successful bidders under HELP/OALP after International Competitive Bidding 
In line with the Government initiative of ease of doing business, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for delegating the powers to Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Finance Minister to award the Blocks/Contract Areas to successful bidders under Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy  after International Competitive Bidding  based on the recommendations of Empowered Committee of Secretaries . Under HELP, Blocks are to be awarded twice in a year. Therefore, this delegation of powers will expedite the decision making process on awarding blocks and give a boost to the initiative of ease of doing business.
Impact:
Under the NELP Policy, ECS considers the Bid Evaluation Criteria , conducts negotiations with the bidders wherever necessary and make recommendations to CCEA on award of blocks. The CCEA approves the award of blocks. The entire process, including Inter Ministerial Consultations  is quite lengthy and time consuming. In consonance with the Government initiative of 'Ease of Doing Business', it is desirable to shorten the duration of time taken for award of the Blocks / Contract Areas. Under the New Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy' the competitive bidding will be continuous and blocks will be awarded twice a year.
Background:
Government of India launched a new policy regime for Exploration & Production  sector namely Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy  in 2016 which is paradigm shift from earlier policy regime. The main features of new Policy regime are Revenue Sharing Contract, single Licence for exploration and production of conventional as well as unconventional Hydrocarbon resources, marketing & pricing freedom, etc. Open Acreage Licensing Policy  under HELP, is main innovative feature wherein investor can carve out Blocks of their own interest and submit an Expression of Interest  throughout the year. Based on the areas for which expression of interest has been expressed bidding will be conducted every 6 months.
Government received an overwhelming response in first Eol cycle of OALP which started on 1st July, 2017 and closed on 15th November, 2017. In the first Bid round, 55 blocks, having an area of 59282 sq.km spreading across 11 States have been offered for bidding. The bidding process is being handled through a secured and dedicated e-bidding portal.
Ministry of Defence
BIG ATMANIRBHAR PUSH BY IAF
In a major boost to the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative of the Govt, MoD on 23 March 2023 signed a contract with M/s Bharat Electronics Limited  for the supply of Medium Power Radars for the Indian Air Force, at a cost of Rs 2841 Crores, under the Buy  category.
The Medium Power Radar has been indigenously designed and developed by DRDO and will be manufactured by M/s BEL. Successful trials of the radar have already been conducted by the Indian Air Force.
MPR Radar is a 4D multi-function phased array radar with electronic steering in both azimuth and elevation. It would be employed for detection and tracking of aerial targets. The system will also have the capability to identify targets based on an Identification Friend or Foe  system.
Another Contract was signed with M/s Bharat Electronics Limited, Bengaluru for acquisition of 129 Radar Warning Receivers  at an overall cost of Rs 947 Crores under the Buy-Indian  Category.
The state of the art RWRs are Designed and Developed by Combat Air System- Design & Integration Centre , DRDO. The equipment will be manufactured by M/s BEL under Transfer of Technology  from CASDIC.
The RWR will considerably enhance the Electronic Warfare  capabilities of our fighter aircraft. With the majority of sub-assemblies & parts sourced from indigenous manufacturers, the RWR will be a significant leap forward in developing EW capabilities within the country, in consonance with the make-in-India initiatives of the Government of India.
The two projects will act as catalysts for the development of manufacturing capability in the industrial ecosystem. The projects essentially embody the spirit of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and will help facilitate realizing our country's journey towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
Prime Minister's Office
PM condoles loss of lives due to a road accident in Gujarat
Announces ex-gratia for the victims
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the loss of lives due to a road accident in Anand district in Gujarat. He also announced an ex-gratia for the victims.
PMO tweeted, "Saddened by the loss of lives due to a road accident in Anand district in Gujarat. Condolences to those who lost their near and dear ones. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF would be provided to the next of kin of those deceased: PM @narendramodi"
President's Secretariat
President of India to Present Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to The President’s Bodyguard on October 27, 2022
People Can Witness The Ceremony on October 27 as well as Special Show on October 26 by Registering Themselves on www.presidentofindia.gov.in
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu will present Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the President’s Bodyguard at a ceremony to be held at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on October 27, 2022.
People who are interested in witnessing the special show and the ceremony may register themselves on the website www.presidentofindia.gov.in as limited number of seats are available on first come first serve basis.
In the one and half hour-long ceremony, the PBG will accept President’s Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner. The presentation Parade shall thereafter be followed by an Audio Visual Presentation highlighting the history and significance of the Silver Trumpet & Trumpet Banner and the modern day role of the PBG.
Professionally honed with precision, trained to perfection, the horsemen will display a variety of traditional Indian Equestrian skills followed by the horses trotting in line with the music of the military band. It will show case the synchronous perfection in training, balance and ceremonial deportment of both the horse and the rider.
Being the President of India’s own troops, the PBG has the unique distinction of being the only military unit of the Indian Army, privileged to carry the President’s Silver Trumpet & Trumpet Banner.
NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog undertakes Special Campaign 2.0 for disposal of pending matters and Swachhta
With the vision of giving a heartfelt tribute of “A Clean India” to Mahatma Gandhi, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances  initiated a special campaign for disposal of pending matters from 2nd to 31st October 2021. With the success of the campaign, DARPG decided to continue the campaign in 2022 and further in 2023. Accordingly, Special Campaign 2.0 was undertaken from November 2022 to August 2023 with the aim to ensure timely and effective disposal of public grievance, references from Members of Parliament, State Governments, Inter-Ministerial Consultations and Parliamentary Assurances by Ministries/ Departments.
Special Campaign 2.0 for disposal of pending matters and Swachhta was undertaken by the NITI Aayog and its attached offices Development Monitoring & Evaluation Office , Atal Innovation Mission  located in NITI Bhawan and its autonomous institution viz. National Institute of Labour Economics Research and Development  situated in Narela, New Delhi. The focus of the campaign was to ensure timely and effective disposal of Public Grievances references from Members of Parliament, State Governments, Inter-Ministerial Consultations and Parliamentary Assurances by Ministries / Departments. The Swacch Bharat Abhiyan “Special Campaign 2.0” aims at Record Management, Cleanliness  and Office Scrap disposal, freeing of space is also being carried out in NITI Aayog.
Under this campaign, disposal of Public Grievances, Parliamentary Assurances, PMO References have gained momentum. Under the record Management, considerable number of files were reviewed/ weeded out, space cleared and revenue generated through office scrap disposal. Out of total physical files earmarked for review, more than 75% files have been reviewed. In addition to the above, nearly 95% public grievances and appeals have been disposed of during the period. The redundant scrap material and obsolete items have also been identified for disposal.
Targets and achievements and Pictures of Activities were also uploaded by the NITI Aayog on the SCDPM Portal of DARPG as below:-
Before After
Ministry of Defence
CURTAIN RAISER: 6TH EDITION OF INDIA - UK JOINT COMPANY LEVEL MILITARY TRAINING: EXERCISE AJEYA WARRIOR COMMENCES AT CHAUBATIA 
The 6th Edition of India - UK Joint Company Level Military Training EXERCISE AJEYA WARRIOR has commenced at Chaubatia, Uttarakhand and will culminate on 20 Oct 2021. The exercise is part of an initiative to develop inter-operability and sharing expertise with friendly foreign nations. During this exercise, an Infantry Company from Indian Army and an equivalent strength from UK Army would be sharing their experiences gained during the conduct of various military operations in their respective countries and during overseas engagements. Together, both the armies stand to benefit from their varied experiences.
As part of the training, both the Armies would familiarise with each other’s weapons, equipment, tactics, techniques and procedures for carrying out joint military operations. Also, there would be a series of Expert Academic Discussions on various subjects of mutual interest such as Combined Arms Concept, Sharing of Experiences in Joint Force, Operation Logistics etc. The joint military training would culminate with a grueling 48 hours exercise to validate the performance of both the Armies in conducting joint military operations in a semi-urban environment.
This joint military training will go a long way in improving bilateral relations and also will be a major step towards further strengthening the traditional bond of friendship between the two Nations.
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AA/BS
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Prime Minister's Office
PM greets people of Odisha on Utkala Dibasa
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted the people of Odisha on Utkala Dibasa.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "Greetings on the special occasion of Utkala Dibasa. I bow to the unique culture of Odisha. The people of Odisha have contributed immensely to India’s progress. May the people of the state be blessed with happiness and good health."
Ministry of Power
Rs. 838.04 crores under IPDS and Rs. 982.56 under DDUGJY released under Tribal Area Sub-Plan during the last three years: Union Power & NRE Minister Shri R. K. Singh
Integrated Power Development Scheme  [Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme  subsumed] and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana  were mainly focused on strengthening and augmentation of sub- transmission and distribution network of urban areas and rural areas, respectively and had universal coverage. Funds were released under Tribal Area Sub-Plan  component of IPDS/ R-APDRP/DDUGJY budget to State Power Utilities based on percentage of State’s ST population  as indirect proportionate utilization towards TASP component. Scheme-wise and year-wise detail of Budget allocated at Revised Estimate  stage vis-à-vis funds released by Ministry of Power under TASP component are as under:

|
|
Financial
Year
|
|
IPDS
|
|
DDUGJY
|
|
Budget
|
|
Funds released
|
|
Budget
|
|
Funds released
|
|
2019-20
|
|
454.11
|
|
356.44
|
|
349.68
|
|
349.68
|
|
2020-21
|
|
165.00
|
|
165.00
|
|
227.00
|
|
226.96
|
|
2021-22
|
|
318.00
|
|
316.60
|
|
405.92
|
|
405.92
Under the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana , a total of 2.86 crore willing households were electrified across the country. The population of Scheduled Tribes also got benefitted under the scheme.
Under the newly launched Scheme i.e. Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme , a provision of Rs 388.74 crore has been made at RE stage under TASP Head during FY 2022-23. Since, the Scheme was launched in June, 2021, no disbursements could be made under TASP component of RDSS in FY 2021-22.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Power Sh. R.K. Singh in the Rajya Sabha Today.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya chairs a High Level Meeting to review status of COVID-19 in the country
Directs officials to focus on Surveillance and Genome Sequencing, and to Monitor Hospitalisation
Urges for Ramping up Testing and accelerating COVID19 Vaccination of Eligible Population
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare today chaired a meeting with the key experts and officials in view of an upsurge of COVID-19 cases in some states. Dr Bharati Praveen Pawar, MOS  and Dr. V K Paul, Member, NITI Aayog were also present during the meeting.
Shri Lav Agarwal, JS  made a detailed presentation on global scenario of surge in COVID cases and status of COVID in the country. This included presentation and analysis of trend of covid-19 cases; daily & active cases, positivity and deaths; testing status along with state-wise weekly tests per million, RT-PCR share in weekly tests; genome sequencing; and vaccination status.
Union Health Minister stressed on the need to focus on districts reporting high case positivity & undertake adequate testing  & effective Covid-19 surveillance to assess and control the spread of infection in a timely manner. Dr. Mandaviya directed the officials to continue to focus on surveillance and on Whole Genome Sequencing  to scan for any possible mutation. He also directed for monitoring hospitalizations due to COVID19, and SARI/ILI cases.
He exhorted to increase pace of vaccination including booster doses in districts reporting high cases. “As there is adequate vaccine doses available, let there be no vaccine wastage while focusing on accelerating vaccination among the eligible and vulnerable groups”, he directed.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Ajay K Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Govt, Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, DBT; Dr Balram Bhargava, DG, ICMR; Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, AYUSH; Dr Manohar Agnani, AS & MD, Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS; Dr. N K Arora, Head of COVID Task Group, NTAGI, Dr Sujeet Singh, Director, NCDC, and other senior officials of the Health Ministry were present in the meeting.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
With higher number of patients getting cured, India’s total Recoveries Reach nearly 21 lakh
Recovery Rate further rises- nearly 74% today
3 times more Recovered Patients than the Active Cases
With more patients recovering and being discharged from hospitals and home isolation , India's total COVID-19 recoveries have reached nearly 21 lakh today. Recovery of 20,96,664 patients has been made possible because of effective implementation of the policy of TESTING aggressively, TRACKING comprehensively & TREATING efficiently. Focus on Standard of Care protocol including use of non-invasive oxygen, better skilled doctors in the ICUs and hospitals, and improved ambulance services have culminated in yielding the desired results.
With the recoveries of 58,794 in the last 24 hours, India's Recovery Rate amongst the COVID-19 patients has reached nearly 74%  reflecting that the number of patients recovering is on a steady rise over the past several months.
India has posted more than 14 lakh  recoveries than the active cases . The record high recoveries have ensured that the actual caseload of the country viz. the active cases, has reduced and currently comprises only 24.19% of the total positive cases.
Early identification through TESTING, surveillance & contact TRACING along with focus on timely and appropriate clinical TREATMENT of COVID19 patients have ensured that not only is the Case Fatality Rate is lower than the global average and progressively declining , but also a small proportion of the active cases are on ventilator support.
For all authentic & updated information on COVID-19 related technical issues, guidelines & advisories please regularly visit: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/ and @MoHFW_INDIA.
Technical queries related to COVID-19 may be sent to technicalquery.covid19[at]gov[dot]in and other queries on ncov2019[at]gov[dot]in and @CovidIndiaSeva .
In case of any queries on COVID-19, please call at the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare helpline no.: +91-11-23978046 or 1075 . List of helpline numbers of States/UTs on COVID-19 is also available at https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/coronvavirushelplinenumber.pdf
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
Payroll Reporting in India – A Formal Employment Perspective
The Central Statistics Office , Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the press note on Employment Outlook of the country covering the period September, 2017 to October, 2018, based on the administrative records available with selected government agencies to assess the progress in certain dimensions. A detailed note is annexed.
Click here to access the detailed note related to Employment Outlook
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
DAIC and JNU sign MoU to facilitate & enhance Research Activities & Policy Formulation aimed at Socio-Economic Transformation & Sustainable Development
Dr Ambedkar International Centre , 15 Janpath, New Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding  here today to facilitate and enhance research activities and policy formulation aimed at Socio-economic Transformation and Sustainable Development. The MoU was signed by Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar, Vice Chancellor of JNU and Shri Atul Dev Sarmah, Director of DAIC. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ms. Nilam Sawhney, Secretary, M/o SJ&E, Shri B.L. Meena, Joint Secretary, M/o SJ&E, Prof. Satish Chandra Garkoti, Rector II, JNU and the officials of DAIC and JNU.
DAIC, inaugurated by the Prime Minister, is a centrally located state-of-the-art Centre for quality research in socio-economic transformation and it has been envisaged as a think-tank for preparing policy briefs. JNU with a status of the ‘University of Excellence’ given by the UGC is a world-renowned centre for teaching and research, having collaborations and MoUs with universities across the world in research projects, conferences, and publications.
The MoU will facilitate and enhance research activities and policy formulation aimed at Socio-economic Transformation and Sustainable Development. The two organizations resolved to cooperate within the scope of their mandates and sphere of competences to work for these issues. The Parties recognized the benefits to be derived from increased collaboration, cooperation and interaction for the further promotion and understanding of high performance in research training and organizing various programmes including conferences, seminars, symposia and lecture series.
The MoU aims to define the areas for fundamental, academic research in which both the Parties desire to work together in future for their mutual benefit to foster a collaborative framework between DAIC and JNU in the field with a view to benefiting from each other’s initiatives and working procedures and to support collaboration among the researchers associated with both the Parties.
Ministry of Law and Justice
President appoints Shri Mohammed Ghouse Shukure Kamal as Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court
President of India, in exercise of the power conferred by clause  of Article 224 of the Constitution of India, appointed Shri Mohammed Ghouse Shukure Kamal to be an Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court. A notification in this regard has been issued by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice today.
Shri Mohammed Ghouse Shukure Kamal, has practiced for more than 23 years in Karnataka High Court and subordinate courts at Bengaluru. He -practices in Civil, Criminal, Constitutional, Labour, Arbitration, Revenue and Waqf. Matters.
RKJ/M
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Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Key points raised by Secretary, I&B at the valedictory session of CII Big Picture Summit
- Media and entertainment sector has to grow much faster than the economy in general because M&E sector is a leading sector of the economy and not one that follows the economy.
- M&E sector must target to become a market worth $ 100 billion. The sector has a bright future.
- As long as content is within the purview of law, Government is ready to support any content and there should be no restrictions. The Ministry endeavors to live up to this commitment.
- On AVGC Center for Excellence, Ministry is keep for industry participation, limiting Government participation within a PPP model.
- Laws to set up theatres are very old and enacted around the time of Cinematograph Act. Government will ask States to reconsider the archaic laws.
- Government supports anti-piracy movement, piracy is a scourge requiring strong action at all levels. Draft Cinematograph Act has recommended strong action against those indulging in piracy. Government is now willing to work with CII on their proposals on piracy in digital medium.
Saurabh Singh
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